Immunodetectable levels of the inhibitory guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory proteins in failing human heart: discordance with measurements of adenylate cyclase activity and levels of pertussis toxin substrate.

Human hearts with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy have diminished adenylate cyclase activity and increased amounts of the alpha-subunit of the inhibitory guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein (alpha Gi) as measured by pertussis toxin catalyzed ADP-ribosylation. We utilized specific antisera against synthetic peptides corresponding to amino sequences deduced from cDNA's encoding the three alpha Gi subspecies to compare the immunologic and bioactivity levels of Gi in failing and non-failing human hearts. The various antisera detected three peptides with Mr 42,000, 38,000, and 37,000. Only the Mr 42,000 peptide co-migrated with the pertussis toxin substrate. Although functional activity of alpha Gi was increased in the particulate fractions of the failing heart as measured by inhibition of guanine nucleotide-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity and the quantity of pertussis toxin substrate was also increased, there were not associated changes in the levels of immunodetectable Gi. Therefore, the increased functional activity of Gi in the failing human heart as assessed by adenylate cyclase measurements cannot be explained by a relative increase in the among of Gi protein.